Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. cultivar Giant Red.
The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant, botanically known as Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd., and hereinafter referred to by the name xe2x80x98Giant Redxe2x80x99.
The new Poinsettia is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Gxc3x6nnebek, Germany. The objective of the breeding program is to create new Poinsettia cultivars with vigorous growth habit, thick stems and attractive flower bract coloration.
The new Poinsettia originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in December, 1997 of an unnamed proprietary selection of Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd., not patented, as the female, or seed, parent, with the Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. cultivar Supjibi, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 6,592, as the male, or pollen, parent. The cultivar Giant Red was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Gxc3x6nnebek, Germany. The selection of this plant was based on its attractive flower bract coloration and uniform plant habit.
Asexual reproduction of the new Poinsettia by vegetative terminal cuttings taken at Gxc3x6nnebek, Germany since 1998, has shown that the unique features of this new Poinsettia are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of xe2x80x98Giant Redxe2x80x99. These characteristics in combination distinguish xe2x80x98Giant Redxe2x80x99 as a new and distinct cultivar:
1. Inflorescences with red-colored flower bracts.
2. Dark green-colored leaves.
3. Uniform and rounded plant habit.
4. Early flowering; response time, about eight weeks.
5. Excellent post-production longevity.
Plants of the new Poinsettia differ primarily from plants of the female parent selection in plant form.
Plants of the new Poinsettia can be compared to plants of the male parent, the cultivar Supjibi. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Gxc3x6nnebek, Germany, plants of the new Poinsettia differed primarily from plants of the cultivar Supjibi in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Poinsettia had stronger stems than plants of the cultivar Supjibi.
2. Plants of the new Poinsettia had smaller flower bracts than plants of the cultivar Supjibi.
3. Plants of the new Poinsettia had darker red-colored flower bracts than plants of the cultivar Supjibi.